Redemption
by 26AngelofMusic26
Summary: Post-Avengers. In Loki's trial it is decided that his punishment is to go to Midgard, and live like any other common human. Without any powers, except for some magic here and there his redemption shall begin by someone that he would not even dream about, a mortal. Will Loki be able to change his mind and lighten his burden? Loki X OC. Character development.
1. Chapter 1

Thor stared at Loki knowing that he would not break his icy gaze. Loki arched an eyebrow and looked at his brother defiantly. That was how it had been since a few days back, he had not said a word and it drove Thor mad.

Above all the madness within Loki, Thor knew he was his brother, not in blood but in bond. He was dear to him and he only wanted to recover him, to have him as he once was even if Loki thought otherwise.

Thor had given it much thought. What could be the only force that would get him back on the good side? There was nothing left in his power. He knew perfectly well that he would not subdue to torture, it would only make him stronger. Besides, he could not bare the sight of his brother in more pain than what he was suffering right now.

He tapped his fingers lightly on his leg as he immersed deep in thought once again. He only caught half of the smirk perched upon Loki's face.

Loki, being the God of Mischief certainly enjoyed watching his brother riddle out how to bring him back. But what Thor did not know was that Loki had never been with him. He was always a ghost, the shadow behind that nobody cared about. There was never any attachment and therefore no bond had been broken at all, but Thor did not get it. He saw the brother who always accepted the fate of being left behind, of forever being Prince Loki. Never the first one, no.

Loki did not want to be the first in line always. What he really craved was recognition. He wanted his father and the people of Asgard to realize that he was wiser than Thor. He wished for it, but no one ever seemed to realize. To their blind eyes he always was the 'other one', the 'cold one', the brother who is always difficult to talk to.

He enjoyed all of that bull right now. He enjoyed the fear that he caused in Midgard. He enjoyed how his own asgardian people considered him a step ahead of their thinking, and above all he liked how much effort he had caused the Avengers to bring him back to Asgard.

Yes, he could live with that satisfaction.

As much as Loki thought about those things that made him happy for a second, he knew perfectly well his reality. He had not kept the end of the bargain and that would bring consequences. Things he had not dared imagine.

"What's the plan, Thor?" Thor looked up at the sound of his voice, and surprisingly, he found himself missing how easily he played with words. "Am I to sit here for the rest of eternity while you think of a miserable way to punish me?" Loki teased his brother knowing that would upset him.

Thor stood up from his chair, noticeably angry. He turned his back to his brother and Loki's grin spread into a wide smile.

"But do answer me a question, brother." Thor turned to him and found that wicked look in his eyes. He recognized it as the same when he was trapped in a glass cage, talking to him. "Do you truly think this will come out nicely?" he let silence fall between them before continuing his talk, "I believe you are the only one who wants justice, everyone else wants my death." Thor's eyebrows shot upwards and he walked closer to Loki's chair, anger rising up in him.

"Do not talk brother!" he exclaimed.

"Come on, Thor. Do not pretend that you do not know this things as well as I. After all, you are these beasts' king."

"Do not insult Asgard with your tongue!"

"Or what? Will you cut it out?" Thor turned around once again, refusing to see him. His eyes were showing wickedness, and nothing more. He let out a grunt as his fist clashed against the golden wall.

"Dammit, Loki!" He let silence creep between them before he could speak again.

He could not get him. Was it him desiring death? What had he done, truly, for him to desire death? Was that punishment more bearable than whatever was waiting for him out there? But what could he do to stop this? What formula did he have to use to get him to crack open? If only he spoke of what he feared it would all go easy and Thor would be able to help his brother.

What troubled him was that the deep down he knew that the people of Asgard would not tolerate Loki as he did. They would not appreciate have him stay around again; and the only reason they had not started an uprising was because they thought he was being punished. But whatever he did, whatever he said, Thor knew that the brother he had known was buried deep down in all that sorrow. But the only thing that remained _now_ was that lost creature...

"It's difficult, isn't it? Finding a place where I belong." Loki said out loud, more to himself than to anyone else. Thor looked at his brother and something had changed in his eyes. They were now expressing something. Something that was close to sadness mixed with anger. And if not, then he was a true trickster. But then again, how could he be sure of anything?

He could not think properly. He knew that Loki was playing tricks with his silver tongue, something Odin had warned him about. He should have listened. The muzzle would have made the decision easier. It was too late now, Thor had listened to the wrong mouth talking and now his thoughts were influenced. He banged his fist against the wall once again before leaving the room, closing the door so roughly that the citizens near the rainbow bridge could have heard.

He heard something familiar; his laugh. Loki was laughing at Thor's anger and frustration. He had said it once before, he wanted to be his equal, if not see him under him. And at least, for the moment, his frustration gave him what he always wanted.

Loki needed repairing, repairing that he knew he could not do. Not him, not Odin, not Frigga.

He was desperate because he did not know where Loki could find forgiveness. It was difficult to imagine someone to accept him...Help him find the place where he belongs.

As he kept rambling on in the castle he found himself remembering the old times. The times where none of this problems were a concern just yet. He realized that when they were happy brothers, he was not quite himself. He was filled with the lust for power and the craving for battle. Comparing, they were both more or less the same. The difference was that he changed into a better person. And then it struck him.

The remedy. His only doubt was who long would it take him?

_As long as necessary. _

[***]

The library smelt of books as if you could breathe the knowledge within the yellowed pages. How much she enjoyed it. She felt as if she could just slip into a pool of a million stories and tales of different people, times and places.

The book she held in her hands was fairly new unlike the topic it was talking about. She stroked the soft and unused spine with her left hand as her free fingers searched in the index the page she was looking for. Once found it she moved towards the tables behind the book shelves and walked blindly towards them as her eyes scanned the pages furiously.

She opened the chair and sat down, allowing her gaze to wander about the place while she found a comfortable position. On the opposite table was a man that she did not really recall seeing when she entered. Well, it was a _public_ library after all, people came and went.

As she continued searching for the needed information she could not help but notice that he just seemed to sit there looking from left to right slowly, unamused. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes returned to her book just before his deep blue eyes fell upon her face.

Wasn't it weird? Going to a library and just glance and the books?

She did not give it much importance and got swallowed up in her book. The blue eyed man glared at her, curiosity irradiating from him. There was something that was not right, something that did not make sense. He could not quite put his finger in it so he continued staring at her. He watched as she took out a notebook out of her ratty bag that hung from the chair and scribbled notes on it.

Not moments later she was finished with the book. She searched for something in the cover and back cover and continued scribbling. Then he turned his eyes away from her suspecting that she would turn around soon. He felt like following her example and do what everyone else was doing in the library; pick up a book and read. Yes, he liked the idea even though he doubted mortals could posses knowledge bigger than the size of their noses.

They both stood up at the same time as if synchronized. The man was tall, raven haired, dressed with a black coat and emerald scarf. For a moment she thought he might have been drunk, judging by his tired looking face and he looked out of place. Then he stood up for a book to the shelf next to his table. That made her somewhat stupid theories go for a second. She stood up herself too to retrieve the next book she would need to finished the resources for her thesis.

She stood at the other side of the bookshelf the man was. She could see his shadow and felt herself tremble a bit. She distracted herself with another interesting book and when she noticed again, the shadow was gone and back into the chair she had seen him for the first time. She had not even looked away for a second! Nobody could be that fast.

She brushed the thought of immediately and continued her investigation. She kept the book close to her chest while she searched for more books. She moved through the shelves taking her time to analyze each book. She was disappointed when she found that there were not any other books about her topic in this section of the library. She would have to return another day, cancel the appointment with her tutor because the investigation was not yet completed.

She came back to the table, a sigh escaping her mouth as she opened the book again, not very motivated. He looked from his book and to her, not really understanding why spend time in here. They were both pretty much in the same situation; he did not find his book interesting. It contained nothing that he did not know before or had not seen it with his own eyes. Each time he turned the page he made a sound until it finally caught her attention.

She glanced up from her book and stared at him until his blue eyes got tangled up in her dark ones. He looked at her, defiantly. He turned his head a bit and smiled which made her smile back, shake her head almost unnoticeably and return to her book. He did not cease his action until she heard him close the book completely.

She felt tempted to look at him once more and see if he was finally going to leave, but she managed to restrain herself. She heard footsteps further on the corridors behind her and her mind blindly guessed he had stood up to retrieve another book, but she had not heard the chair being pulled back. She turned her head and looked behind and saw them man in the coat. Just when her eyes were traveling back to the book she saw in the corner of her eye the same man still sitting in front of her.

This time she looked fully up at the man across the table and then turned once again violently to prove that there was a man identical to him behind her. She looked back at the man across the table as he smiled wickedly. She swallowed, stood up as she closed the book shut, wrote the page number she had just read in her notebook and stored it in her bag and pushed the chair back.

The man was still smiling at her and watched as she crossed the bag in her chest and arranged her flaming red hair. She did not even bother to put the book back, she just wanted to leave. She did not know what she had just seen was real or not. She silently hoped that it was because she had spent almost all morning and half the afternoon in that godforsaken place, without anything to eat.

She walked past the man as fast as she could. After a few meters when she thought she had lost herself in the corridors his voice called out:

"Mischief." She stopped dead on her tracks and waited for him to call out something else and when he did not she continued her way to the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

She reached the main desk and Angie wished her farewell, without making her turn around. Angie furrowed her eyebrows seeing this weird attitude from her.

When she was about to step into the street she thought better and decided to tell the librarian about the man in the second floor.

"Hey, Angie—" she trailed off while her eyes looked up to the balcony up. The man was leaning there, the smile still spread across his features and looking intently at her.

"I, um, there's a..." she looked again to prove he was still there, "a—a book that I left in the table up there, could you take care of it? I'll come back tomorrow to use it again." Angeline nodded at her and smiled.

"Great. Thanks. See ya tomorrow." Anna let her sight fall to the man once again before crossing the front door hoping she was delusional.

Her eyes diverted to the other side of the street as she inhaled deeply.

"_Well, what now?" _she asked herself. She did not know what to do...return to the university? To her apartment?

She needed to go somewhere where she could take her mind off work. She turned left and let her feet take her anywhere.

Loki stood in the balcony for a while after she had left. He walked back to the table, and stroked the wood effortlessly. The little magic he had used would make him even more tired. He cursed Thor inwardly for taking something so vital to him.

He reached the place she had been sitting in previously and took the book in his hands. He read the title and found himself surprised. Certainly the girl must have been desperate; there could not have been a book with a more general topic.

Curiosity had the best of him and he opened the book. Even though the book proved no challenge for him, it proved to be interesting to him. Or at least superficially.

Just as he sat down to continue reading the source of the mortal's interest, footsteps were heard in the grand staircase of the library. He did not even bother to turn around, knowing it was the librarian. She reached the other end of the table and looked around like a lost puppy looking for the book that Anna had told her was there. A grin spread across Loki's face.

He made a Doppelgänger take the book from his side of the table and take it to Angelique. The woman was startled at first, looking at the man sitting in front of her and then at the copy. An amazement look spread across her face as she realized that both men were identical. Loki made the Doppelgänger disappear before talking.

"I believe you were looking for this?" he pointed his finger at the book. The librarian barely nodded at him as her face grew paler. She took it and walked as fast as she could downstairs, back to the safety of her front desk. Loki remained sitting on the chair this time, and let some minutes passed for her to calm down.

Yes, he had enjoyed the librarian's panicking but he had enjoyed more the other girl's reaction. The first waste of the little magic he had left had been worth it, but the second one definitely not.

Well, after all if Thor had stuck him on boring Earth for the time he deemed necessary he might as well enjoy it. He had nothing left to lose after all.

He made another Doppelgänger go down the stairs as he watched from the balcony. The copy went to a section in the first story and made the books fall down. At first, the librarian tried to ignore the sound by staring blankly at her computer monitor. Then, battling with herself she decided to go and see what was going on.

Loki waited for her to reach the spot before conjuring another Doppelgänger at the other side of the library and make him throw down some books. Angelique or whatever was her name, turned around again, the fear in her eyes noticeable. A smirk spread across his features and he waited for her to walk in that direction. Then he stood up and threw down some books just for the added effect. This time it was clear that she was about to panic.

Loki started throwing books in the main floor with an invisible hand. This time she took her things from her desk and got out of the building through the back door. Loki knew she would return with another person, or a group of people for that matter.

He got out of the library normally and slowly and no one disturbed him. Even though he would have wanted more spectators for his show, he enjoyed every bit of it. That pleased him, and that was all what mattered, his happiness.

[***]

Anna dug her hands in her pockets seeking the warmth it provided. He eyelids felt heavy and she was sure that if she looked into a mirror she would see bags under her brown eyes. She needed her sleep, but how could she when she had to finish her thesis so she could finally graduate? And after all, she _needed_ to finish it, her green card would not longer be valid in a few months time.

She was desperate but she could not find the information she wanted. And the writing of the thesis itself was not good. Her tutor told her it was fine, that it was good enough for her graduation and even to publish it into a book, but she was not content with it. If she had the time she would start again, and search the whole of the United States for information.

She was frustrated with herself, and she just wanted this stage to be over. She remembered the words of her mother, telling her this would be fun. She had not lied, it was. At first, at least.

The sun was setting in the horizon that the buildings made invisible. Her apartment was still quite far from her current position. The exhaustion of her body made her sit down at one of the cold benches in the park near the university campus.

Her legs were aching. Was it whether from cold or from general tiredness she was not sure. She needed to rest, even if that meant further delay on her work.

Her hands touched the cold iron of the bench and enjoyed the feeling of the snow in her fingertips. The wind stroked her face lightly, making her hair fall on her back. Her mind took a break from her stressful routine and for once enjoy the moment. She closed her eyes and felt the cold weather, something that reminded her of home.

After she felt she had regained a little bit of strength and peacefulness she felt the just fallen snow on her boots before standing up.

She kept on walking and her mind focused on different matters. On how to make her room mate avoid bringing with her a male companion for at least that night. The last time she had discovered her with someone had been in the couch, loud music on. She thanked God for that detail, at least that way she hadn't been able to hear their sounds.

However the sight had made her stomach revolve and avoid sitting on that couch ever again. Perhaps that was an incentive for her to spend the night far away from that apartment; in the library or a friends flat, it really did not made a difference for her.

If she counted the times she had slept in her actual apartment this semester came easily to 10, maximum. Really, if she had not needed the money to pay the rent she would had never offered it around campus. Or perhaps she should have interviewed the person first. That way she would not have agreed to share an apartment with a skank.

When she turned the corner and saw the light of the living room turned on the disgusting picture appeared into her mind. She could recall that the man had black hair which reminded her of the raven haired man in the library. She did not know if he had been real or not, but she preferred thinking about her paranormal encounter rather than those two people having sex. And anyhow, it did not freak her out anymore. She was practically sure she had imagined it, given the amount of lack of sleep that she had been carrying.

When she opened the door her legs were stiff and she craved falling on her bed and going into a peaceful sleep. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water she could hear music muffled behind her room mate's bedroom. She sighed and walked towards her own room.

She closed the door and threw her bag somewhere in the dark corners. The bed was still undone from when she had last slept there. She put the glass of water in the beside table, on top of notebooks and books. A pen that had been there fell down and rolled down somewhere. That was just a small reminder of how disorganized her life was.

If she hadn't been so goddamn tired she would have stood up, turned on the light and cleaned her room superficially. Maybe she would do so in the morning, or the afternoon. She just needed to find a space where she could take back the control of her life.

With the dim light that came through the window she saw something comfortable laying on the floor and quickly changed into it. She would rather sleep in old and unused clothing than the cold sweater and pair of jeans. When her feet were out of her boots she felt them get warm with the bed sheets.

Finally, she lied down on her bed comfortable and relaxed. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes. She had forgotten how good it was to rest for a little while.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki cursed the moment he thought that wasting the little energy and magic he had left was a good idea. It had given him a good laugh at the moment, but nothing to please him further.

And certainly wondering about Midgard like a stray cat was not amusing either.

Mortals passed him and not even a flare of recognition flashed through their eyes. It somewhat angered him; to know that he had almost destroyed half of Manhattan yet no one seemed to remember that. What was going on in their heads, not to remember their almost ruler? Were all mortals so selfishly interested in only themselves?

Perhaps he did not want to rule them. Difficult race they were...

He crossed the street into yet another path to follow for that night. He was growing tired of doing the same thing every day, not finding any attachment anywhere. Why had Thor sent him here? Whatever Odin and the people of Asgard had in store for him was surely much better than this. Torture by the hand of his adoptive father would be preferable than being in a planet completely new to him.

He shivered remembering what Thanos had established as the consequences if his end of the bargain was not been completed. He remembered that far too often for his liking, and he just wished someone would be kind enough to get it over with for him. He had nothing left to live for. Nothing left in any realm.

If he tried being normal for a moment, and enjoy the show while it lasted?

No, that wouldn't be an option. He would not let himself fall into the ranks of lower people. He was prince, a king whose well deserved kingdom was taken away from his grasp.

He sighed. There it was again, his enormous ego. He even recognized so himself. That massive monster did not let him do anything. If he tried to start fresh, that little voice would find a way into his thoughts, convincing him other wise. How infuriating it was.

Was that really what Thor had been aiming at, for Loki to quarrel with himself?

Oh, dear Thor. How much Loki wished he could be able to speak to him and tell him he was down right stupid, but nothing would get him past his arrogance. Only perhaps that mortal woman of his, Jane.

A thought occurred to Loki. It grew bigger on his brain as he thought it through.

After all he had promised to pay her a visit, back when the Bifrost was destroyed. She had changed his brother into something different, then perhaps she could do the same with him, couldn't she?

As the idea started to settle in his head he liked it more and more. Dear sweet Jane. He would touch a nerve, wouldn't he? Then Thor would be outraged and maybe even put and end to his well deserved pain.

But then something in his mind told him that he was not quite right. He did not believe the god of thunder would really go to such and extreme, but it would perhaps make him consider the option of Odin's punishment.

Wow. Was he really seeking Odin's punishment? Then something was really wrong with him. Any other time he would have chosen to fight, and stand up for himself. He himself was the only who was worth risking anything, after all. Kind of selfish from his part, but then if he came to wonder, who else did he have? No one he is alone, he is his own kind so might as well focus on what was important...

His mind changed rapidly, and he did not enjoy it. If he did not get to find something to do, somewhere to go, he might go mad soon.

He fastened his pace. He wanted to visit that wrenched mortal, he wanted her to tell him the secret to happiness, whatever this costed.

Or maybe he could just lay down with whores, they did well for a cheer up.

He startled himself. He never had such desires since long time ago, since time back in Asgard, so why now?

He suppressed the thought and kept on walking. What he had in mind was mischief he definitely wanted to do, not lust. He smirked slightly.

[***]

Anna had gotten a good bit of sleep, even if it had been for merely three hours before being rudely woken. She was dreaming pleasantly about finally going back home, meeting her family again and spending nice winter holidays with them. Simple dream, nothing weird about it and she enjoyed it. She hoped that she could do so, and not only just in dreams.

However, shortly after her pleasant dream finished her what's-her-name room mate opened the door aggressively. Anna stood up immediately, startled by the noise. Her eyes were just adjusting to the bright light coming from the hallway. Still a bit in the land of sleep she heard the room mate talk.

"Oops, guess the bookworm is _actually_ here." she closed the door after the comment. Anna could hear the music turn on the small living room. She imagined they would keep up the steamy engines on the couch, just like old times.

Anna rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She tried lying back again and catching that much needed sleep, but she could not. The music was pretty damn loud and the door could not muffle it enough. _Well, that's better than sex noises, _she thought as she pressed her eyes closed.

When her favorite song started playing she could take it no more. She sat in her bed again looked for the clock hidden behind the stack of books. 2:30, it marked. She sighed in exasperation. Could they not stop being horny for once in their pathetic lives and sleep like normal people?

Her flat mate was the most promiscuous girl she had ever known of and was not going to stop in the near future, she figured.

She stood up from the bed completely and immediately missed the warmth of the covers. She pulled out of her improvised pajamas and looked for her pair of jeans. She put them on and searched for a different sweater and boots. She didn't want the itchy one from before. She took her cellphone and her ipod and stuck them into her jean pockets. That was all she needed for the moment.

The song finished, but another one she liked started playing. She rolled her eyes. Maybe taking her ipod would not be such a good idea. She set it down on the counter and remembered something at the same time.

She took the glistening keys in the moonlight. It had been long since she had carried them, she was sure. She did not really need them most of the time since they were always keys to her apartment, her own door and a pair of rusty keys for her home. If she wanted to avoid any funny business in the bed in which she slept in, she would have to lock the door. She did not like doing so, mistrusting people so much as to lock it, but she did not want the stranger's semen in her sheets.

She came out of her bedroom ready for whatever gruesome sight they had in stock for her. To her surprise, there was no one, at least not in her sight. She stopped walking and listened carefully for any off noise. The only thing making sounds was that blasted music, so she guessed there was no one there. _Perhaps they decided to go fuck somewhere else? _She wondered. She still locked the door for extra safety.

She walked towards the stereo. She turned it off and looked around, expecting to see the pair somewhere. When she found nothing she breathed again. She wondered if she could go back to her own bed, now that they were gone? And then she heard footsteps. She started to feel nauseated. Her decision was made. Spending the night at Carrie's couch was preferable.

She switched the stereo back on and flickered through the songs until she found one that she disliked. She left that on while she left the apartment.

She let the cold night air fill her lungs. She enjoyed the breeze combined with the light snow falling quietly. The lights of the street were lightened. It gave a pleasant scenario, the shadows of the snow and the branches of the trees. If she weren't so cold and sleepy she would have enjoyed it more.

She walked and hummed quietly to herself, thinking of what she would do next morning. It was Saturday already, and she could take the day off her thesis writing. She could also use it to kick out her flat mate, thing she had been thinking of doing since a while ago.

The suburban areas soon turned into avenues. Houses turned into night clubs and buildings.

As she continued walking she encountered several groups of young people having fun and she hoped that Carrie was at home. Well, she probably was. How many times had she asked to stay for the night at her house? She had lost count, but she had always been there.

She realized that she had never knocked on her door this lat at night. Eleven was acceptable, when latest, but almost 3 a.m.? It would be rude to wake her up because she was a cry baby that couldn't sleep with a bit of noise. _A bit of noise I can stand, people partying I can stand, but not their stupidity. _She thought.

Just as the avenue finished she thought she was overreacting. She turned around and faced the more or less active street. She thought about entering a bar and have a drink, there was nothing to lose, after all; except, perhaps the drunken people.

She spotted one that didn't have drunken men on the front door and walked towards it. When she was a few buildings away from reaching it, she changed her mind. She was in no mood to socialize and alcohol would not be a happy surprise to her empty stomach.

What a waste of energy had her little excursion been and all because she didn't run the thought through. She just wanted to go back home, crawl into bed and find peaceful slumber.

She retraced her steps; she passed the avenue that became alive at night, then she passed the park. She was drawing closer to home. Nothing caught her attention until she heard the voice from the library.

Just behind an oak tree was a shadow that was not natural of the park.

"Here we are again,"

She was startled. She stared at the abnormal shadow behind the trees, but then she heard a noise behind her back. She turned around, expecting to see him. Nothing greeted her other than the street light.

She kept looking around, but there was nothing different.

She did not know if she could trust her senses anymore. Was she imagining things?

She stared into the darkness a few more seconds and just when she thought it had been her imagination playing tricks, his voice called again.

"Come on, don't be shy, you can talk." his voice was closer to her than last time. She steadied herself, cleared her voice, and turned around in the direction the voice came from.

"I'm not the one who's hiding." she tried to sound confident, but he noticed how her voice broke. The same way her accent did not go unnoticed by him either.

The man came into view in the opposite direction where she had heard his deep voice.

There was nothing luxurious about him, he was the same tired looking man from the library. She thought his dark circles may compare to her own. He was an exhausted man, that was the only thing she was sure of.

"Well played." he replied and took a look at her too.

Her red hair was untidy, her face swollen from the little sleep she had gotten and her clothes were different from the ones she was wearing that afternoon. She looked tired too. Perhaps those were the only things they had in common. Or maybe not.

In some way, he was glad he found the girl from the library again. She was someone he knew, even though their interaction had been a matter of seconds, seeing her again was one thing he felt familiar with. And right now, that was what he needed. It was a feeling he liked, something that hadn't been in touch with him since a long time back.

Suddenly she looked aware of the situation and kept looking form left to right, as if expecting to see someone else pop from the shadows too.

"Do I..." she swallowed, "Do I know you from somewhere? Besides today, I mean."

Her eyes held something he knew well: fear. He knew that her question was already answered. She knew perfectly well who he was. He could not help but smile a bit. He loved how mortals were always automatically scared of what they did not posses enough knowledge of. But then again, wasn't he too? Wasn't he scared of the things he did not know? Didn't he fear the abyss that lied inside him?

She was fearing for her dear life, or something to do with that. Perhaps he shared that with mortals in general, being scared for their own necks. Or maybe he no longer cared for that. He did not know and did not want to figure it out.

"All mortals know me. They know me now, they knew me a thousand years back." If she had any doubts, that would settle it. He noticed that something in her defensive mood changed, leaving her more vulnerable.

He had spoken the truth in such a long time, and that truth terrified her.

"Mortals?" she asked, fearing the response. She had interrupted his thought, and she thanked her inwardly for that.

"That is what you are, mere mortals."

She let out a breath that was somewhere in between a scoff and a laugh of incredulity. She tightened her jaw. Even if her sight was parted from his, he knew something continued clicking in her mind.

"I never believed in those things, silvertongue." her gaze met his and something had changed in her dark orbs. Recognition?

"Ancient name you spoke. But I, however, do not recognize myself with it."

"Really?" a bomb of confidence triggered within her and she started to suddenly enjoy herself. "You were always introduced as the god of lies, and I figured you wouldn't like it, so I went with one of your many nicknames."

"And I presume you know them all, mortal?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

Her mood had changed dramatically; from scared to overconfident. She was now a challenge for him and he was starting to like it.

"Oh, but I'm not. That has been all you. But do tell me, what is heard of me here in Midgard? What is said amongst common mortals like you?"

"I have a name. Not that you would care, Liesmith."

She realized this conversation was not very common, much less in the middle of the night, in an empty park and with _that_ man. She wanted to end it now. She needed space to think properly about her reckless actions, but with him around the only thing her mind could do was continue adding wood to the fire.

"But yet you are bothering to tell me." he paused, watching her reactions attentively, "I'm afraid it goes both ways, mortal. I do not respond to those names." She kept silent, and he noticed it. When she met his unsettling eyes words spluttered out of her mouth.

"Nice chatting with you—" she wondered what to call him now, something that would end the conversation in her favor. "Scar-lip." He was very much surprised she knew that tale, although he guessed she knew the wrong version to it. He felt the urge to lick the little scar near the corner of his mouth as he remembered the battle he fought alongside Thor that made him gain it, but stopped himself before he seemed weak.

Exaggerating his amazement, he chuckled. "As with you, mortal." she turned over into the opposite direction and tried to ignore him behind her. She brushed his comment off as her feet kept taking her further away into a direction unknown. Had she started a fire?

He watched her leave, wondering about like him. He still did not understand why he had let her go and why his feet were planted on the spot, respecting her decision.

He looked up at the night sky inhaling the cold night air. He waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps trailing in the snow. Once she was far away, but not to far not to be on sight, he let himself blend with the night shadows.

If he had not been mistaken, she looked like a lost animal too, and if anything he was going to entertain himself with it a bit.


End file.
